Chapter three

Mateo sat down across from Dionysus. He awkwardly looked around the room. "Why didn't you tell me you suffer from PTSD during our past sessions, Mateo?" Dionysus asked as he pulled out a pad of paper. "I would have helped you."

 "I didn't want to waste your time." Mateo played with his hands, not wanting to look up. "They were just stupid memories that wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't get why I should have put those on someone else too."

 Dionysus looked at him with soft serious eyes, "Mateo, you can never waste anyone's time if it's because you are suffering." Mateo nodded, stray tears falling before he could register them. "I am going to tell you something, I don't tell most people. I am inviting you to talk to me anytime you need to talk. I don't care if you think I'm busy, come to me." He nodded again, struggling to understand why anyone would want to help him. "Now, can you tell me how long this has been going on?"

 Mateo looked away, no matter what Dionysus said he still felt ashamed that his mind made him feel so weak, "The Tartarus flashbacks or…" Mateo took a deep breath, "or the PTSD?"

 Dionysus looked at him softly, keeping his voice as comforting as he could, "The PTSD, Mateo, how long has it been since it first started?"

 He looked down, "Ten, eleven years.."

 Dionysus' eyes went wide, "Mateo you got to this school not even 7 years ago....how has it been that long?" He looked away, trying not to let eyes show his fear. Though he knew he failed once he heard Dionysus speak. "It's okay you don't have to talk about it right now."

 Mateo nodded, he looked down and started playing with his thumbs. He really didn't want to explain his childhood trauma to Dionysus. It was bad enough his mom treats him like he needs to be sheltered. He knew part of that was because of guilt she felt over the situation, but she couldn't have known. He didn't even tell her until everything stopped happening.

After more failed attempts to get Mateo to talk, Dionysus sent him back to his room. With a promise to "come see me once a week". Mateo really didn't want to have therapy with a god, but at least it will be easier to explain the mythological trauma. 

 When Mateo walked back into his room, what he was met with wasn't something he was expecting. There in his room was Artemis and Hestia. No matter how much he has grown to be familiar with this world, seeing the gods or goddesses at every turn wasn't something he could get used to so easily. Even in the 7 years he has been coming here.

 "Mateo?" Hestia asked softly, as she stood up from his bed. He met her eyes, which showed neither pity nor fear but sadness and understanding. "Are you doing okay?"

Mateo scoffed, messing with random objects on his dresser. "Yep, doing amazing Lady Hestia. Not like the whole school watched me have a mental breakdown."

 "Hey! Give yourself some grace here, you have been through so much shit in your life I'm surprised you're still sane." Artemis hit Mateoa across his head. 

"Why are you even here? Last I checked you hated boys." Mateo sat down on his bed, not meeting anyones eyes. 

"I personally have less hatred for the ones who are respectful, though at the moment you're making it hard to find you respectful Mateo Diaz." 

Mateo nodded, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Then go, there's no reason for you to be here."

 "We have to go, Zeus called a meeting," Hestia told Artemis, "but there is someone else here to keep you company. Try being more respectful to them?" He nodded, keeping his face hidden in his lap. He didn't really care who this other person was at the moment, hopefully it wasn't another god.

He heard his door open and footsteps entering his room. He didn't know if he should look up and greet them or continue sulking. But he wasn't given much of a choice when they greeted him instead.

 "Mateo?" Elara asked, kneeling in front of him.

 "El?" Mateo asked, picking his head up from his lap. His voice sounded as broken and tired as he felt in the moment.

 "Mateo?" She sat down next to him on the bed. With one look at his face she held her arms open for a hug, "Oh, Mat."

Mateo jumped forwards into her welcoming arms. The minute he was in her embrace, he started crying. Elara rested her hand on his head, running her fingers through his hair. She rocked back and forth, she hated how her best friend was feeling at this moment. She wished she could help him with this more than what she knew how too. But she hadn't been the best at comforting people in her life. When they were younger no one would dare to think of them in a scene like this, but now, with everything they have gone through. How could they not be there for eachother? Especially, when sometimes they are all each other has.

Elara sent a silent prayer to Artemis, her cousin needed her more than her duties did in this moment. She heard how Mateo treated Artemis before she got here. She hoped she would be understanding. 'My lady, he needs me.' 

Elara could feel how conflicted the goddess was, but even though she believed she wouldn't get the okay. Artemis replied to her prayer by teleporting her night bag into Mateo's room. Elara looked down at Mateo to see he had already fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful in his sleep she didn't want to move him, but knowing that neither of them would be comfortable to sleep right here. She guided him to lie down on his bed, and covered him with a blanket. After she was certain he wasn't going to wake back up, she got onto an empty bed herself and soon fell asleep.

Poseidon watched as everyone slowly flashed in. Artemis and Hestia were the last ones to return back to the Throne Room. Everyone was in chaos, meetings like this never get called unless major issues are starting.

 "What is the point of this meeting brother?" Demeter asked, sitting down onto her throne.

 "We have something to discuss about young Mateo." Zeus said to the crowd of gods and goddesses.

 "Okay, what is it?" Demeter asked, looking between her two younger brothers..

 "He needs to become a god." 

The throne room erupted into chaos. 

"What do you mean?" Ares asked his father.

"Is this a wise choice?" Athena asked her father.

"QUIET!" Zeus boomed, slamming his fist onto his throne.

 Poseidon looked away as this was all happening. He didn't like the possible outcomes this could bring. His son already was troubled by issues his life has brought him. He really didn't need this added to everything on his plate.

 "What if he rejects?" Athena asked the one question everyone was thinking.

 "He will." Ares pointed out.

Poseidon would have agreed with Ares if it wasn't for the other factors in this situation.

 "He won't. It is the only way to keep people safe from him." Zeus answered.

 "That is what I feared." Dionysus admitted, speaking for the first time in a long time at a meeting about a demi-god. "Is he really ascending?"

 "Yes, if he rejects godhood from us, he will ascend without knowing. And if he does, he risks killing hundreds if not millions, and depending on where he ascends depends on who gets hurt when he does." Zeus explained.

 "What do you mean?" Hermes asked, looking around the room.

 "He is burning through his mortality." Hestia softly said, her eyes showing how much grief she had for the boy at hand.

 "What? He will not mentally survive this." Apollo said, his eyes flashing over to Poseidon.

 "Why do you care? It saves our kids." Ares asked. 

Apollo shook his head, "I care because this is a kid who has been through so much hell in his life, that the Fates actually stuck him through hell."

"Okay, and take away the pit and you have a regular demi-god. If it was any other child we would just have smited them. So why is Mateo any different!"

Poseidon shot up from his chair, "Ares! I get that you care about your children, but that is my son you're talking about!" He yelled at the War God.

Ares shrunk down in his chair, trying to avoid all eye contact. 

"Apollo!" Zeus called out.

"Yes father?" Apollo sat up straight, looking towards the Sky god.

"You are to break the news to Mateo." Apollo looked down, this was not something he wanted to do. He didn't want to see the horror and grief on his face. 

After the meeting was called to an end he left to head to Mateo's room. He doesn't remember how long he had been pacing in front of the room. He didn't know how he could just enter. How was he supposed to do this?

As he was sensing Mateo starting to wake up, he walked into his room. This led Mateo to wake up to see Apollo at the foot of his bed, and the door wide open.

 "Lord Apollo?"

 Apollo looked up, his eyes soft and sad, "Just call me Apollo, Mateo."

 He nodded, "Why are you here," Mateo looked around, "in my room?"

 Apollo frowned, "We need to talk."

 Mateo nodded, with a sigh before he got up. He headed to his dresser to get clothes, and went to change. "So what do we need to talk about?" Mateo asked Apollo from the bathroom.

 "Not here, let's go somewhere more private."

"What is more private than my own room?" Mateo asked, poking his head from out of the bathroom.

Apollo didn't answer, instead he waited for Mateo to be done getting ready. Once Mateo deemed himself ready to go, Apollo grabbed his shoulder and flashed them to his temple on Olympus.

 "What is so important that we had to come here?" Mateo asked with wide eyes. He roamed around the room, looking around the area. 

 "Matty, you know when you were in Tartarus, and you felt something break?"

 Mateo nodded, flinching at the mention of it. "Yeah it felt like something broke...the best way I can describe it is glass shattering. It smoothed out after I quit.." He trailed off, looking at pictures Apollo had around his room.

 "Your soul isn't full and the power you used was not meant for a mortal body."

 He nodded, "Okay.." Mateo paused as he looked at a vase with Hyacinth on a table. 

 Apollo shook his head with a fond smile. "Seashell, you are burning your mortality away." When he saw what Mateo was looking at, he knew he had to get out of here before any questions could be asked. "Zeus will explain it more. Come on."

 They entered the Throne Room to be met by the rest of the Olympians in their thrones. Poseidon got up and walked towards his son. "Hello Mateo." His son nodded, still in shock by the news given to him by the Sun God.

 "Matty?" Hermes asked the young hero. Mateo looked towards him, his eyes blurry with tears. "Oh, Mat. Can I hug you?" Mateo nodded, even though he really didn't want the contact, but he craved the comfort. Hermes walked forwards, holding his arms out. He jumped into the hug, his tears now falling down his face. Hermes, being reminded of his own children, started to distract him from his thoughts. "Matty, want to know something cool?" Mateo nodded. Hermes gave him a soft smile, "You get to be with Elara and not be alone, you get to meet people your mom wants to and, you get a whole family that loves you." Mateo nodded, pulling away, his tears had started to slow down. He felt like he could finally breathe again. 

Hestia pulled him into a hug before looking at his face. She used her hand and wiped the tears away, "Mateo, I know it's hard to imagine this being a good thing, but there will be plus sides, there will be fun times and happy moments. We will help you adjust. We will explain the process before it happens, but it's your choice to let it happen naturally, or have us trigger the ascension."

 Mateo nodded, looking at Apollo, "Will doing it naturally hurt?" Apollo looked at Poseidon who nodded.

 "Both ways can be painful, but if you fight the process it will be even worse. If you want you can explain everything to your friends today and we can trigger the process in a couple days." Apollo told him.

 He looked down, "Okay." Apollo nodded, before flashing him back to the school.

 Rue was the last to get to the main office. "Chiron, why did you call us here?" The centaur looked behind him, there sitting on a couch was Mateo and Apollo.

 "Mateo, what is going on?" Elara asked, looking between him and Apollo.

 "Mateo, do you want to tell them, or should I?" Apollo asked, looking towards Mateo.

 He looked at the Sun God, "I'll do it. I want to tell them." Apollo nodded, gripping his shoulder. Elara and Nico looked at their friend, their eyes showing their concern. What would be so bad, that Apollo would offer to tell people.

 "Mat?" Nico asked, coming forwards.

 "I..." Mateo choked before pulling his legs up to his chest.

 Apollo puts his hand on Mateo's shoulder, "I can tell them, you don't have to." Mateo nodded, hiding his face with tears in his eyes. "Do you want me to?" He nodded again, curling in on himself.

 "Dad? What is going on?" Helio asked. Apollo looked at Elara, motioning for her to sit next to Mateo. She nodded, moving towards him.

 "Can I sit here?" Mateo nodded, moving more towards the side to give her more room. Elara sat down next to him, pulling him into a hug, as Apollo got everyone's attention. 

 "I will explain what's going on, but keep in mind this wasn't anyone's but the Fates' choice."

 Julia looked at the sun god, concern painting over her face, "What do you mean?"

 Apollo looked at the group hoping they wouldn't freak out or blame anyone for this really unwanted event. "His mortality is being burned away, he is slowly becoming immortal. When he got access to his father's abilities, it took away part of his soul and morality, then when he used his powers to fight Lamia , in Tartarus, he lost more of his mortality. Now it's only a matter of time before he ascends." Apollo saw the shocked and scared faces on everyone in front of him. "And unless we trigger it or take him to a secluded area until he does. He can kill millions of people in the process.

 "What's the plan then?" Elara asked behind him.

 "He has chosen to trigger the ascension, so we will trigger the start of it, and he will spend the time it takes on Olympus to be completed so he can be watched and helped through it."

 Rue looked at Mateo then back to Apollo, "Will he be in pain?"

 Apollo looked down, "Yes. While he ascends, he is burning through his mortality, his blood is transforming into ichor and his soul is dying. After he is fully ascended, he won't be aloud off of Olympus until he has full control over his true form or powers."

 Rue nodded looking at her boyfriend, looking as though she was going to puke at the thought of that amount of torment. How would anyone sanely survive that? "How long will it all take?"

 Apollo frowned, knowing what she was asking. "At least 50 years. You can visit, but it will be less painful for the both of you to say goodbye." Rue nods, tears forming in her eyes.

 "How long till you guys start?" Nico asked, putting his hand on Mateo's shoulder.

 "We will be having a meeting tomorrow to go over the process with Mateo and the other gods and goddesses, and then the next day we will be starting the triggering process." Rue nodded before walking out of the room.

 "Rue?" Julie called.

 "Hey?" Rue greeted, wiping tears off her cheeks.

 "How are you holding up?" She asked, sitting on the hill next to Rue.

 "I..I don't know what I did so bad to deserve this?"

 Julie looked at her, "What do you mean?" Rue took a breath lying down, to look at the sky.

 "First, Leogan betrayed everyone here at the school, then a couple years later Elare joined Artemis, and I now barely see her. Now," Rue took a deep breath, "now, Mateo has no choice but to become a God."

 Julie shot up, "There is a way to continue being friends with Mateo and Elara and be able to be around them." Rue sat up looking at Julie with confusion.

 "What do you mean?"

 She shook her head, "Join the Hunt, you won't be able to be with him, but you can stay friends, and be with Elara. And all the heartbreak you're going through right now. He is going through ten times worse. You have to say goodbye to your boyfriend, he has to say goodbye to everyone and his mortality."

 Rue looked down, tears falling down her face, "I can't join Elara. I don't want to torture Mateo or myself like that. It would be easier to say goodbye and move on." Julie nodded with a smile, happy to know that Rue was able to be rational and mature even with pain clouding her mind.